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A SERMON, 

UPON THE DEATH OF 
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. 



»H^€« 



PREACHED AT 



BY 

A. E. P. PERKINS, D. D. 

PASTOR OF THE 
EAST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. 



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Colurnbia. UniV. LiVk 

NOTE. 

The reqiies.t for the publication of this sermon is granted, not because the 
Author has any idea that it excels or erjuals nuiltitudes of others called fortli 
by the same occasion, but from a desire to add one stone to the cairn raised 
]>y loving hands, in memory of the Illustuious Dead. 

A. E. P. P. 



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MiCAH 6:9. 

THE lORDS VOIC.E CRIETH UNTO THE CITY, AND THE MAN OF WISDOM 
THE LORD ^ vm ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^ YE THE ROD, 

AND WHO HATH APPOINTED. IT. 

When God speaks who can but hear? The Lord's voice cri- 
eth unto the city-not to one city alone, but that vmce .s heard 
to-day, by all the land, and by all the civ.hzed world. 

The evlnt which has called «^ togfflhet afthts tune, has a - 
rested the attention, and called forth the sympathy ot men more 
wTdely than any like event which has ever occurred m the h,s- 

""Li"a:d"'Ruiers have fallen by the assassin's hand and even 
those who condemned the deed have often been obliged to own 

h there was some ,,alliation of the crtme, J" ''- "^.u-aete o 
the victim or in oppressive systems represented by him. it is 
lut a 1 le while since the C/.ar of Russia perished by violence, 
a Uhoulh his acts for the amelioration of the condition of h s 

rop e were gratefullv remembered, there were no snoWnnivei- 
id expressiorrs of sorrow as have found utterance at the loss of 

""Eren'wirUnc'oln fell, a divided nation could not be expect, 
ed to miTtc heartily their mourning as all are doing to-day, in 
:ver: ; t on of the land. But though this universal expression 

:^/rX:J:::thi::;r7t;^';:ifo:t:-^: 

* Vet^ :,^:l?:^:;'r de-r oTridf |r«^a in. .e 

sufficient reason for the services of this occasion. If ve a.e 
oiiW to tudy it as the result of the fatal wound, or in is rela- 
tion to e en more remote causes, its consideration might we 
he rele-ated to the physician or the political economist. But 
whei. the voice of the Lord is heard, then at leas,, the man of 



wisdom will listen, and will recognize the fact that it is God 
who speaks, and and that what he says is worthy of attention. 

It is not the mark of a wise man to think that he knows all 
that is to be known, or to suppose that he is able to trace all 
events to some natural cause. But even in the study of causes 
affecting human actions, and destinies, the word of God affords 
us greater help than we can receive from any other source. 

The mere recognition of a Divine hand, in those events that 
concern us, goes far to enable us to understand their meaning. 
When the Most High sent judgments upon His people, He said, 
Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. The rod — the 
instrument of affliction has its lessous, and such as are intended 
by him who hath appointed it. 
What does the rod say ? 

I. It reminds us of the reasons for our grief. When we 
know of the death of any good man, we must feel that the 
world has sustained a loss. 

Good and true men are not numerous enough, in any walk of 
life, for the world to be able to part with them without regret. 
When we have been bound to such in intimate relations, or 
even by that of neighborhood, the loss comes home to us with 
more of a personal interer^t. 

The death of our beloved President comes home to us thus 
as the loss of a |iersonal friend. 

I pass by the details of his personal history, for they have 
become familiar to us, not only by the statements made while 
he was candidate for the Presidency, but by the frequent rep- 
etition of them in these last weeks, both before and since his 
death. We all know of the days of his childhood passed in pov- 
erty and sturdy toil, of his education won by his own efforts, 
of his faithful advocacy of truth and right, of his public pro- 
fession of h's faith in Christ, and his open defence of the great 
essential truths of the Gospel; that he was their champion in the 
vigor of his youth, and bore testimony to them in his riper 
years. We know that his life, both in public and private, has 
been in accord with his professions, and that his piety has been 
so deeply rooted and so vigorously sustained as to bear every 
strain to which it has been subjected in a long, and varied po- 
litical career. 



We have seen him bringing the resources of a broad scholar- 
ship, and of a vigorous and well balanced intellect, to the ser- 
vice of his country, enlisting in its armies in its hour of trial, 
winning honor there and only leaving that service when made 
to feel that his influence was more needed in the halls of Con- 
gress, and there standing for the right in opposition to the sup- 
posed wishes of his constituents, as well as when encouraged 
by their sympathy and apj)huise. We have seen him when 
brought face to face with deatli, prepared to meet it with un- 
faltering Christian hope, and through these weary weeks of 
waiting and struggling with pain and suffering, not only retain- 
ing his courage, but, what is more, his gentleness and tender- 
tenderness towards those who ministeied to him. 

He has been living for these last months in the sight of the 
public, every motiori and word scanned and repeated, till no 
repetition of the story can make it more familiar or emphatic. 

But the history of his life, even more than the exalted posi- 
tion which he had reached, brings him home to our hearts. 
From that history it is evident that he ever remained in full 
sympathy with that class of peoj)le from whom he sprung. 
Though gracing the highest position, and at home with the most 
cultivated minds, his sympathies were with the great mass of 
his fellow citizens, in their toils, theii" burden bearing and their 
interests. Though practicing none of the arts of the demagogue, 
he was able to convince his. fellow men of the breadth of his 
sympathies, and the sincerity of his interest in their welfare. 
Indeed there is no class of society except the vicious and the 
criminal with whom his lite has not come into contact and sym- 
pathy. Laborer, scholar, soldier, statesman, teacher, phi- 
lanthropist, christian, preacher of the gospel. — He was the 
fellow, comrade, brother of us all. These traits of his char- 
acter have endeared him to all, so that his death comes to us 
each as a personal bereavement. 

Again. We have lost a wise and capable chief magistrate. 

The times demanded such an one. Though upon his acces- 
sion to office, the country was enjoying signal prosperity, ques- 
tions remained unsettled, and Avrongs were waiting to be righted 
that demanded a clear head, a strong hand, as well as a true 
heart. 



6 

la the few months of his Presidency he gave proof that he 
possessed all these traits in a degree equal to the emergency. 

Already under his administration, either directly, or through 
the men whom he had chosen, he had unearthed abuses of long 
standing, and had taken efficient steps for abating them. He 
had dealt wisely with the national finances, he had made a suc- 
cessful stand against improper unconstitutional interference with 
his prerogatives, and more than all, had convinced all sections 
of the country that he had the good of all in view. He had 
so won the confidence of the South that in their expressions of 
o-rief, in common with us of the North, there is u clearer evi- 
dence to-day of a united country than ever before since the war 
of the rebellion closed. 

We had abundant reason to expect that du)ing his term of 
office, such reforms of administration would be effected, such 
measures adopted, and such harmony of sections estab- 
lished, as would bless the land for generations to come. In at 
least many instances, those who had been opposed to him polit- 
ically, had come to share in these expectations, and to-day are 
among the most sincere mourners for his loss. And nothing 
has done so much to raise the hopes of the people for the future, 
as the pledge of President Arthur that it shall be his earnest 
endeavor to carry out the measures devised and suggested by 
his lamented predesessor. Such is our loss. He whom we 
mourn was loved for his private virtues, for his tenderness as a 
son, a husband and a father, for his broad sympathies with hu- 
manity, and for his manly piety. He was trusted for his integ- 
rity and looked up to as a wise and strong ruler, and guide for 
the nation. This is the man whom God, in his inscrutable 
wisdom, has been j)leased to remove from us. What are the 
lessons which we are to learn from this dispensation of Prov- 
idence ? 

President Arthur, in his proclamation appointing to-morrow 
as a day of humiliation and mourning, well says ; "That we 
should bow before the Almighty and seek from him that conso- 
lation in our affliction, and that sanctification of our loss which 
he is able and willing to vouchsafe." If in this spirit we accept 
our bereavement we shall see 

I. The need of principle as the main-spring of government. 



We recocxnise the need of this in some matters which we see to 
be fundamental. We claim that our government is founded 
upon the idea of equal rights, but even if this is «o ,. it remains 
to be decided, whether the administration of its affairs shall de- 
pend upon persons or principles. 

Much, of course, must be left to the personal ability and 
integrity of the men who administer the government, but this 
should be reduced to a minimum. , . , . ^.npnrl 

Our institutions and laws should be so framed as to depend 
as little as possible, upon the character or ^^all of those who 
dminister Ihem. Power should be so distributed and shou d 
b" so circumscribed that the loss of any one individual should 
„;t affect the whole and cause derangement -^ ^ ^|-^-^ 
through the whole body politic. We are far, not only fiom a 
perfect ideal in this respect, but far from what might be secured 
r/the determination of the people, or any considerable numbei 

"^OffiL, variously estimated at from sixty to one hundi-ed 
thousand, are in the gift of the President Ihose who^ho Id 
them are dependent solely upon his will and woid. -.ith 
eve'y change^of administration, even though there be no change 
: thVparty in power, it is possible that all the "-niben ts o 
thes-e office; should be removed aud others ^PP-^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ 
places. It is expected that many such changes will be made, 
Ta reward for party service, or f.r other considerations per 
sonal to a new President or h.s chief supporters. It wa. the 
disappointment of this expectation on the part of one man t ha 
has brou-ht the nation to mourning. But the loss of a single 
hfe howe^ver valuable, can hardly be so great and lasting an ev 
as the scenes of greed, and strife, and selfishness that are enact 
ed at the return of every Presidentia e ection. 

It is not necessary that those who hold office should be fixed 
in ti r position fo/life. It would be contrary to the genius 
of ou" institutions, to establish such a class ainong -^ ^^^^ -me 
intelligible principle should prevail m the choice o^J^^^^^^ 
execute, as well as those who make our laws, bo w«uld pas 
sion be allayed, corruption checked, and strength and stability 
be substituted for that' which is now the weakest part of our 
political institutions. 



The idea that office should be bestowed upon principle, and 
not as a personal favor, is emphasized by the scenes through 
which we are passing. It is not asserted — no one believes that 
Guiteau was the agent of others, or that the partizans who were 
arrayed against the President, in the bestowal of office, were 
cognizant of his act beforehand. But the ideas and passions 
which they cherished bore their natural fruit in the weak un- 
balanced mind of the murderer. There can be no doubt that 
others, in higher positions, and of far greater ability, felt a bit- 
ter hatred to the now dead President because he denied their 
claims to office and jiatronage. Such men must to-day face 
the accusation implied in the question of the great interpreter 
of human nature, when he asked, "Hates any man the thing 
he would not kill" ? 

To do all in our power to allay such passions, to remove the 
temptation and occasion for their exercise, to see to it that our 
laws are framed and executed upon immutable principles of 
right, so that they cannot be disturbed by the passions of the 
day, is a solemn duty urged upon us, not only by the sadness 
of the hour, but by our love for our country and for humanity. 

Again. We are taught by this occasion; To cherish respect 
for authority — both for law, and for those who in their persons 
represent the law. A good degree of this does exist, else 
would all our institutions fall at once into ruin, and anarchy 
prevail. 

In all governments, but especially one like ours, order is 
maintained chiefly by regard for the authority of law. With us 
law has little support except in this sentiment. It is not en- 
forced by the will of a strong-headed despot, nor by armies at 
his control. 

We walk securely about our streets, and sleep at night in 
peace, and imagine that we are safe under the protection of the 
law. But what would law do for us if it went beyond the gen- 
eral sentiment of the people about us? We do not fear robbery 
o) murder, and say that we are protected in the enjoyment of 
life and property by the law. 

Bat what would the law do for us, if the people of this state 
or town regarded robbery and murder allowable, or if there 
were a general disposition to treat the laws against these crimes 



9 

;is obsolete { We have had, during the sickness of the Presi- 
dent, an illustration of the regard which still prevails for the 
authority of law. He is the chief executive of the nation. 
Some of its most important laws can only be enforced and their 
supremacy defended, if assailed, by his act. But there has 
been nowhere, so far as we are aware, the least disposition to 
take advantage of his helpless condition. 

Respect for law has been sufficient to maintain order, and to 
keep the whole machinery of government in motion, without 
his int<^rvention or oversight. 

The picture has been one of true moral sublimity, and one 
which could not have been witnessed in any nation under a des- 
potic government, in hardly any other in the world. 

The sentiment which has rendered such a state of things pos- 
sible should be most sacredly cherished, and the surest way to 
do this is to accept government as a Divine institution. 

It is weakened by the habit of ths partisan or self-styled 
independent press, of indulgirig in personal attacks upon every 
occupant of office, and upon every one of diffi^ring politics whose 
influence is feared. There are those who when President Gar- 
field was alive, sought to convict him of dishonesty or corrup- 
tion, but who to-day if not conscience stricken, yet fearful of the 
just indignation of the people, are writing the condemnation of 
their j)ast course by the eulogies which they are pronouncing 
upon the lamented dead. 

The unloveliness of such detraction appears now in the light 
of passing events, but it will be well if they who have been 
guilty of it, and they who have encouraged it by their approba- 
tion, can learn that its as wicked and ruinous as it is unlovely. 
It weakens that sentiment of authority for law which is essen- 
tial to the stability of the government, or to any wholesome 
liberty. 

That sentiment requires of us, and of the nation, that we 
give a loyal and cordial support to him who, by a Divine dispen- 
sation, has now been called to the Presidency. And the same 
sentiment of respect will be due to him who shall be called to 
preside over the senate, even though he may be of a diffijrent 
political party from the President. 

If our party preferences are dictated by principle, we can ad- 



10 

vocate them by argument for or against proposed measures of 
action, instead of resorting to slander and detraction of those 
who differ from us, or by putting the most uncharitable construc- 
tion upon all the acts of their public or private lives. 

1'he other great lesson to which we would refer, as taught us 
by the voice of God at this time is : 

That oiu- trust should be in God and not in man. After all 
the safeguards which we can invent to secure good laws, and a 
faithful administration of them, there will still be an element 
of human weakness in them for which there is no remedy but 
in the wisdom and power of the Most High. Men die but 
God lives ; God reigns and the government lives through all 
the perils to which it has been exposed. It lives because God 
reigns, and not because of the strength and wisdom of men. 

o ... 

God may indeed for purposes of his own permit a nation to ex- 
ist, and to prosper for a time, when it does not acknowledge his 
Sovereign and Providential care. But we cannot doubt that a 
recognition of Him, and of his claims upon us, secures His fa- 
vor and enlists His attributes in behalf of those who thus honor 
Him. 

But tliat recognition of Him which shall result thus must be 
in more than words and forms. We own our allegiance to Him 
when, in our public acts, we adopt the principles that are pleas- 
ing in his sight. 

The laws which He as our Soverign has ordained are the ex- 
pression of His will. We can in no way better pay our honi- 
ao-e to Him, than by following those laws, and in no other way 
can we so surely put ourselves under his fostering care. 

The kingdoms and nations of earth, exist that they may help 
on the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. They may do 
this by their destruction, and we are assured that the nation and 
the kingdom that will not serve Him shall perish. Even in 
this voice of Avarning it is implied that those who do serve Him 
and put themselves in a line with His plans and purposes shall 
endure. Their life shall run on till they reach the consumma- 
tion when The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of 
the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the peo- 
ple of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an ever- 
lasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. 



11 

And trust in God will he shown hy prayi^r to Him for our 
rulers and for the nation's pros])erity. It has been thus shown, 
in a remarkable degree, in behalf of our deceased President 
from the houi" when intelligence came of his peril, till he passed 
beyond the rench of prayer. 

Probably never before in the history of the world, have so 
many hearts been united at the throne of grace in behalf of any 
one person, or any one object. Not only in this, but in all 
lands where there are Christian men and women, have earnest 
petitions ascended, daily and continually, that the life of the 
President might be spared. In all this, there has been wonder- 
ful evidence that faith in God and His promises has not died out 
from earth. Men will pray, at least when they are in trouble. 
They will pray without waiting to answer the objections of the 
caviller or to solve the difficulties, real or imaginary connected 
Avith Divine answers to prayer. 

But has the trust in (jocl manifested by the millioiis pleading 
at His throne been justified? 

There are two classes who will answer in the negative. 
Those who do not believe in prayer may be confirmed in their 
unbelief. Those who hold that the prayer of faith will invari- 
ably secure the exact thing asked for, must give up their theory 
as tO'what constitutes answer to prayer, or they must conclude 
that j^rayer is not answered. In this case, it cannot be said, 
that there was not a union of believers, nor that the prayer of- 
fered was not the [)rayer of faith, for here was a union of all 
praying Christians, of every degree of faith and consecration. 

But the theory of Christians in general, in regard to what is 
answer to prayer is not in the least shaken by the fact that he 
has died, for whose life so many j)rayers were oflfered. That 
theory has always been, that God shows himself a prayer hear- 
ing God, as well when he denies, as when he grants the specific 
things for which his children ask. He either gives us just what 
we ask or that which his infinite wisdom and love decide to be 
better. Trust in Him is shown by accepting what He sends as 
that which is best for us. 

How in all respects the life of our beloved President is to be 
better for this nation, than his life woidd have been, we may 
not be able to see. This we know, that God often finds it nee- 



12 

essary to burn the lessons which He would impart, into the 
hearts of men by the fires of affliction. The lessons which we 
need, we may not have been willing to learn without such dis- 
cipline as we are now subjected to. But whether we can see 
how the result is the best that the Most High could do for us 
or not, trust in Him will lead us to believe that it is, and to 
accept it with cheerful submipsisn to His will. 

That the prayers offered for the welfare of the now sainted 
Garfield have been answered we can have no doubt. He has 
been released from the toils and dangers of earth. He leaves 
behind him the blessed memory of the just, a memory which a 
reunited nation Avill love to cherish, and honor even beyond that 
which they might have done, if his years had been prolonged. 

He sits enthroned to-day and receives the loving homage of 
more millions of his fellow men than any living ruler on earth. 
The thoughts which he expressed, and the measures which he 
had already proposed for the good of the nation, Avatered as 
they have been by his blood, have been rendered vital as 
they could hardly have been by the most successful life. 

He was permitted through weeks of sufifering, and face to 
face with death, to bear witness to the Religion which he pro- 
fessed, and the Savior whom he trusted, and so to add his tes- 
timony to that of the multitudes who have gone before him, of 
the reality, and the Avorth of the Redemption of Christ. He 
has fought his fight. He has finished his course, and none of 
us can doubt, has heard the, Well done good and faithful ser- 
vant, which is infinitely above all human praise. 

Farewell then ! Farewell ! Patriot, hero, saint — though ab- 
sent from us, enthroned in our hearts while dwelling in the 
light of his love who has made thee King and Priest to God ! 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



013 785 786 8 




HoUinger 

pH8.5 

Mill Run F3.1955 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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pH8.5 

Mill Run F3.1955 



